Bad Hair Algae

[Myka]

Originally Posted by likwid

I do not add any additives to my tank. I do a 15% waterchange every week using instant ocean salt and RO water. Feed hikari mysis shrimp twice a week, presoaked in water. PH: 7.8, ammonia: 0, nitrite: 0, nitrate: 10, phosphate: 0, Salinity: 0.023, temperature: 78 degrees. Photo period is 7 hours actinic, 5.5 hours actinic+daylights. Bulbs are each 36w coralifes, changed in october.

What brand test kits are you using?

Do you not test for Calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium? These are very important for the health of your corals, and is used by them on a daily basis. Calcium and Alkalinity usually have the be supplemented. Hair algae LOVES low Calcium, Alkalinity, and magnesium. Considering you are using IO salt, and not supplementing, then it is very possible that your Cal/Alk levels are low. Calcium should be 400-425 ppm, and Alkalinity should be 8-10 dkh (err on the high side). Magnesium should be 1350-1400 ppm. Your low pH leads me to believe that your Alk may be low as well (see below).

When you do waterchanges do you siphon off as much detritus from the rocks and sandbed as possible? This can definately help lower the waste in the tank. Hair algae traps detritus in it (which is how it helps itself to grow), and using a turkey baster daily to blow any detritus out of the hair algae may help as well.

When you say you "presoak" your food, do you pour the water off, or do you just soak it in water and dump the whole thing in the tank? I would suggest you feed your fish at least once every second day. Twice a week is pretty tough on a digestive system (smaller fish) that is designed to constantly be eating.

How often do you clean your skimmer? How much skimmate do you get in the cup each week?

That's all I see provided the information you gave.

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

Alkalinity also plays a part in this. You said your pH is 7.8 which seems low for a tank with a skimmer. Do you test for this? Try and keep it at the high end of the safe range (200ppm / 7dkh / 4meg/l) hair algae hates that.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Low pH is often related (although not necessarily directly) to your Alkalinity level, so your low pH makes me suspect low Alkalinity. 7 dkh is not the high end - that is in fact the low end. Alk should be 6-12 dkh, with 8-10 dkh considered "normal". I keep my Alk as close to 10 dkh as I can. Many people who run ZEOvit keep their Alk in the 12-14 dkh range.